1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to weather strip structures installed in a motor vehicle, and more particularly to weather strip structures of a type which is incorporated with a sun roof construction for achieving a watertight seal of the sun roof lid relative to a peripheral edge of the sun roof opening formed in the roof panel of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to clarify the task of the present invention, one conventional weather strip structure of the above-mentioned type will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent First Provisional Publication No. 62-77219. As is seen from the drawings, a roof panel of a motor vehicle is formed with a generally rectangular sun roof opening 101 which is bounded by a peripheral edge 109 of the roof panel.
In the weather strip structure disclosed in the Publication, a holder 105 extends along the peripheral edge of a sun roof lid 103. The holder 105 is formed with a flange portion 107 to which a weather strip 111 is fixed at its base portion 113. A metal core member 115 is embedded in the base portion of the weather strip 111 for faslitating the fixing of the weather strip 111 to the flange portion 107 of the holder 105.
As is seen from FIG. 6, upon the sun roof lid 103 assuming its closed position, an outwardly protruded lip portion 114 of the weather strip 111 abuts on the peripheral edge 109 of the roof panel thereby to achieve a watertight sealing therebetween. Although not shown, a known tilt-up mechanism is incorporated with the sun roof lid 103 so that the lid 103 assuming its closed position as shown in FIG. 6 can tilt up and down about its front end providing a considerable clearance between the rear end of the lid 103 and the roof panel.
However, due to its inherent construction, the above-mentioned weather strip structure has the following drawbacks.
That is, during the tilt-up and tilt-down movements of the sun roof lid 103, the weather strip 111 is applied with a considerable stress due to a friction produced between the weather strip 111 and the peripheral edge 109 of the roof panel. Thus, after long use, it tends to occur that the weather strip 111 is displaced and in a much severe case, disconnected from the flange portion 107 of the holder 105.